STIB ticket machines recycled into key racks, masks for the hearing-impaired, tarpaulins recycled into trendy bags, etc. The products are unique, like the artisans who make them. They are carefully assembled, sewn, nailed, packaged and sold on handymade.be by people with disabilities who work at sheltered workplaces.
Behind this project lies an ambition and boldness truly unique to Brussels: moving from handling to production and from B2B to B2C to create a sales channel 100% powered by sheltered workplaces which can provide a local and sustainable alternative to e-commerce giants.
hub.brussels and social entrepreneurship
Committed to the development of social entrepreneurship in Brussels, hub.brussels is a stakeholder in several regional initiatives, including the BISSIB network, which connects entrepreneurs, researchers, non-profits and public authorities interested in pursuing social innovation in Brussels.
Support and networking
Through BISSIB, hub.brussels:
- has helped shape the project by putting Handymade in contact with numerous social entrepreneurship players in Brussels
As part of the FEDER DEV’Up project, the initiator of the Handymade initiative, hub.brussels:
- has endorsed the financing of the project and advises its leaders on funding opportunities
- participated in the strategic planning of the initiative’s launch
- identified opportunities for Handymade to test its products directly with customers (e.g.: concurrently selling in a pop-store)
Michael Lans
Directeur de l'asbl HandymadeOur contacts at hub.brussels were key for this kind of innovation, both in terms of networking as well as the technical expertise provided. Furthermore, we know that we can count on the BISSIB network, which is dedicated to social innovation and led by hub.brussels, among others, to provide us with maximum visibility.
Give your company an (even greater) social dimension with hub.brussels
A dozen sheltered workplace companies, from all three regions of the country, are already selling their products on handymade.be. With the current importance of e-commerce and social distancing, Handymade meets both the desire for local products and the interest in added social value.
A welcome alliance between the economy and society, between the virtual and the real, and between reason…and the heart.
